Connor's Redemption
by JakFrost
Summary: Connor is back in L.A. and he meets up with Michelle, a strange girl. The story is a bit different, you might wanna re-read. Reviews and Flames welcome. More to come.
1. Chapter 1: The Fight

Guess its time to do the disclaimer. Ahem. K. I don't own Angel, Conner, and any other character that you would recognize. My characters so far, include Michelle, Jeff, Griffin, Steel, Blaze, and the Cobras. When I began writing this, it was with the full intention of having it take place at the end of season three but I think I can do more if its at the end of season four when Angel sends Connor away to live a normal life.  
  
Connor's Redemption  
  
Chapter 1: The Fight  
  
"Get off," said a cold female voice, over in the shadows of an alley. Connor turned to look. A gang of six guys had surrounded a girl, with long dark brown hair. One of the members, a big teen, held her arms behind her back. Another member, a tall blonde haired figure, clearly the leader of this pathetic group, stood right in front of her. Connor stood watching, unable to decide if he should help, he really wasn't in the mood for a fight. Moving forward silently, he edged closer, under the cover of the shadows. The blonde reached out and traced the girl's jaw line with a thin, dirt encrusted finger.  
  
"No. I don't believe I will," he said, the hunger in his eyes visible to all who watched. "Fine. Don't listen to me." Unnoticed her foot had reached around the leg of the thug holding her. She shoved all of her weight back into him, tripped him. He fell hard. Using the momentum the girl flipped over him, breaking the hold he had on her arms. As she flipped, she kicked the blonde boy under the chin with a sickening crack, and landed in a fighting crouch. The rest of the gang moved in closer, and she smiled the cold smile of a hunter cornering her prey. Both of the victims of her attack slowly got to their feet. The blonde staggering slightly. "Damn bitch," He stated through his now bloody mouth. Suddenly a member charged at her back. The short rat-faced boy didn't have a chance. Grabbing his arm, she flipped him onto his back in front of the blonde. The fight that followed became a blur to Connor. The girl seemed to be everywhere at once. He stayed at the edge of the battle decidedly not in the mood for a fight. One of the members of the gang edged backward into Connor while he wasn't looking. It was the big guy who held the girl's arms just a few moments before. Connor punched him hard, fervently wishing he had some type of blade to carve him up with. He hated cowards who picked on anyone smaller then they were, and then ran at the first chance. The guy reeled back, shocked at the unexpected attack, but recovered quickly, ready for revenge. Oh, well, Connor thought to himself. Guess that means no silent getaway. He dodged to the side as a large fist raced past the place where his face had been a second before. Connor's foot shot out, slamming into the boy's stomach, causing him to double over. The leader, obviously having seen this attack by an unknown person, raced over and punched Connor in his face. He dodged too slow this time and the fist clipped his face, only a fraction of an inch from his left eye. Blood trickled out of the cut, as he fought with the leader. Connor punched him hard in the chest, causing him to lose his balance and trip over an old rusted pipe on the ground. Picking the pipe off the ground, he bent over the blonde ready to teach him a lesson. The leader stared back at him, eyes filled with fear and the reflection of his face, hard and without any trace of emotion. Then without any warning, Connor hit the ground a few feet away, very hard. He stared as the girl pulled the blonde, by his neck, to his feet.  
  
Michelle had never been so confused in her life. While there were six Cobras here tonight, only four were attacking. Not that she minded, but it was puzzling. Especially when none of the faces that flashed before her was Jeff's. Somehow, she doubted that the leader would bail on a fight with a single girl, even if that girl could totally crush, six guys with a little more than a thought. There was a small break in the fighting for all of the attackers to catch their breath. During that few seconds she scanned the area for the missing two Cobras. One, she noted, was unconscious on the ground, lying next to two other members. One with at least a dislocated shoulder and more than enough bruises to make an excuse about being hit by a car. The other was unconscious, with most likely a concussion. Now I know I didn't touch the first guy. How'd he get knocked out, she thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She turned to find Jeff and someone she had never seen before fighting. A cold feeling seeped into her side as she watched. The feeling intensified when she realized it was the cold feeling of steel in her flesh. She quickly focused on the battle at hand. How could she be so stupid as to look away from her enemy? Fortunately the knife had missed anything vital, and didn't go in too deep. It only hurt like hell and bled freely. She grabbed the arm of the thug with the knife and twisted his arm up behind his back, breaking it. He let out a strangled cry, and she shoved him down to the ground. She looked around, but no one else seemed to want to fight her. She looked back toward Jeff and the mystery. Jeff was lying on the ground and Mystery was standing over him, a dangerous looking pipe in his hand. Running over, she pulled Mystery off, sending him flying. She reached over and lifted Jeff to his feet, by his neck then slammed him into the wall of a nearby building. Jeff's eyes registered at first fear then shock, then back to fear. The sound of softly approaching footsteps warned her of another attacker. After waiting for a second her foot darted out, hitting the unidentified person in the neck. Whoever it was dropped like a stone. When she pulled her foot back, she reached into her boot, producing a gleaming knife with an ornately carved wood handle with silver engravings. "Having fun now?" Michelle asked sweetly. "'Cause I am." The fear in Jeff's eyes shone. "What are ya gonna do?" He rasped. "Not sure," she answered, "What do you think is appropriate?" He cringed, knowing exactly what street rules would permit her to do after what he did to her for the past 10 years. "I see you've thought of something." She pressed the sharp point of the blade against his throat, nicking the skin and drawing blood. "But I'll go easy on ya tonight seein' as I have more pressin' business to attend to." Already the blood loss from her wound was affecting her. Dark spots flickered past her eyes. The face only a few inches away from her spun and doubled, though she managed to retain an expression that would freeze hell over. The knife hovered over his neck for another few seconds. "Go tell the Cobras to leave me an' my mates outta your gang. We're fine alone. And don't let me catch you here again. Got it? Jeff nodded vigorously. "Yeah." "Good." With that, she kneed him hard in the groin. She released him and stepped back. After he regained his composure, he ran. Any other mobile members left, trailed after. Michelle turned, and saw Mystery standing a few yards away. "Who the hell do ya think ya are?" she said, her voice harsh and angry. "Uh...-" Connor started to say before being cut off. "I don't need any help. I can take care of myself." She turned and started to walk away, but only made it a few steps before the pain became overwhelming. The adrenaline had quickly left her system, and she couldn't hold it back any longer. With a soft whimper she leaned against the wall, and sank to her knees. In the distance police sirens sang through the night air. Michelle covered the wound with her hands, hoping to stop the flow of blood.  
  
Connor watched confused. This girl had almost killed four big guys and seemed ready to continue with him. Instead, she leaned against the wall, appearing hurt. His curiosity got the better of him and he cautiously moved closer to her. "Hey. Are you alright?" he asked. The sirens were coming closer and getting louder. She looked up at him, her eyes hidden in shadows, and then stood up. "Get outta here," she rasped. "What?" "The cops are coming an' I don't really feel like getting' arrested. again." Connor stood hesitant. He didn't want to meet the cops. From his experiences in this city, they usually arrested first and asked questions later. She glared at him for a second then shakily stood up. "Of all the Damned Demon Spawn, I get stuck with one who has good manners," the girl muttered under her breath. He stared at her. For some reason what she said made him think. She was oblivious to his staring and grabbed his hands with her bloody ones. "Come on. Move it." She started to run down the alley into darker shadows, with Connor trailing behind her. They raced through deserted alleys only slightly ahead of the authorities. "Where, exactly are we going?" Connor asked breathlessly after what seemed like an hour of sprinting. "Home," she answered simply, in the same breathless tone. Suddenly the girl stumbled and fell to the ground hard. Her jeans making a horrible ripping sound in the silent alley. Blood flowed from her knees when she stood up again. As Connor slowed down to help, she darted ahead of him. "Don't stop," she called back to him. Connor picked up speed again, and raced after the rapidly disappearing figure in front of him. Who in all the hells is she, he thought. She's fast even when she is hurt. He had just about caught up with her when she turned a sharp left into a shadowy doorway. He raced through the entrance and stopped almost immediately, staring in wonder. 


	2. Chapter 2: The Intruder

Chapter 2: The Intruder  
  
The room was anything but what was expected from the shabby, run-down exterior. It was a small room, with stairs leading upward and doors to the side. It was furnished plainly and cheaply, yet it was kept in good condition, considering the circumstances. The walls were painted a deep violet almost black color, peeling in some places, and a few small extremely frayed hand woven rugs littered the floor. There was a small kitchen area in the far right corner, the sink piled high with chipped dishes, and an open doorway, leading to the bathroom, next to it. A beat up old table, covered in scratches and scorch marks stood desolately in the center of the room with an assortment of broken chairs around it. Three boarded up windows were scattered around the room allowing a small scattering of sunlight to enter.  
The light provided was barely enough for Connor to see by and he doubted that the girl could see at all, though she still moved with grace through the cramped interior. She glanced back at him, stared for a moment, shook her head, and then lit a few candles around the room.  
"Look. I'm gonna go get cleaned up. Ok?? Don't go anywhere," she said, clearly expecting him to argue. Instead he just nodded. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving him alone in the deserted room.  
  
After she closed the door Michelle, leaned against the wall and sighed with exhaustion. The blood loss was defiantly affecting her now. The world doubled and spun, never stopping. Who. in all the hells is this guy? she thought. And why was he helping me? She shook her head slightly, but that was a mistake. She clutched at the cracked sink to remain standing. Her ears began to ring, so loudly in fact, that she had trouble believing that Mystery couldn't hear it too. It certainly blocked all sounds from the room he was in. Then she began to clean her wounds, wrapping them carefully to prevent them from reopening, wincing with the pain.  
  
Connor looked around the room, for the fifth time, memorizing the exact placement of the furniture. A silvery gleam caught his eye and he turned to see the blade the girl had left on the table next to the candles. He picked it up and examined it.  
It was a beautiful piece of workmanship and quite old. The silver- like blade was kept sharp enough to split a hair with almost no pressure, as Connor discovered. The handle was made of finely polished wood with silver engravings on it. When he looked closer Connor found that on one side there was an angel, and the other contained a demon.  
"That's interesting," he muttered to himself. The dagger was made of a silver alloy and with a strange shaped blade. On one side there was an edge normally found on this type of blade. On the other, though, instead of a flat edge there were three spikes pointing backward. Testing the points he found them to be quite sharp, enough to draw blood.  
Connor's body suddenly froze as he listened carefully to the sounds coming from outside the door. With his heightened senses- not that he knew where he had gotten these superhuman senses- he heard two male voices speaking, and three sets of foot falls. Connor slowly backed into the shadows edging closer to the doorway the girl had walked through. The sounds stopped at the entrance.  
"Someone's inside," said the first voice. It was a deep and smooth voice; it held a small hint of authority. "We never leave the door open."  
Connor looked toward the door and saw that it was indeed slightly ajar. He crouched low to prevent himself from being seen. He prayed to God that whoever was entering would be a friend to the girl that brought him here.  
The door slowly opened and three masculine shaped figures stepped into the dim candlelight. To Connor, they didn't look too strong, but yet they could probably say the same for him.  
"Do you think Shell came back early?" asked one softly, his eyes a pale blue/grey color. "She never turns the lights on even at night."  
"No, 'cause she doesn't use the candles either," responded the shorter redhead.  
"Shut up." That last voice was the one who had spoken outside. They moved away from the doorway sending light throughout the room. The dagger, still in Connor's hand, reflected the light, drawing attention to him. "What are you doin' here??" The teen's dark eyes glanced down at the blade as Connor stood up slowly.  
"Hey! That's Shell's knife!" the redhead said.  
"What did you do with her?" the biggest one practically growled.  
Connor checked his balance in case of an attack, "You mean the owner of this dagger" His voice stayed emotionless.  
"Yes. Now where is she? And Blaze turn on a light."  
He watched as the redhead walked over to the wall and flipped a switch, instantly flooding the room with light. He watched as the biggest one's eyes glanced down at the knife again, and then narrowed. Connor followed the teen's gaze down to his blood-covered hands. This is good, he thought, now they probably think I killed her. He opened his mouth to explain that the girl was safely in another room, but didn't even get the chance to take in a breath before the attack.  
  
Griffin moved silently down the alley, with Blaze and Steel right behind. Since Mr. Kwon died the group had been the top priority of every gang in the area. It was not smart to let the group alone to choose which gang to join or even create a new one. They were in constant threat of attack, and so had to always stay away from the best gang hideouts, or be subject to pain, and a lot of it.  
The three teens easily avoided the small patches of sunlight that reached the cracked sidewalk in the least respectable area of L.A. They were heading home after work. They did almost anything they could find, as long as they were paid well and had no obligations for future rounds.  
When they reached the door Griffin was the first to notice it was open. They were always careful to close it to keep out unwanted guests.  
"Someone's inside." He stated, "We never leave the door open." He sharpened his senses, listening intently for any sounds betraying a presence inside. He heard nothing except the breathing of his two companions.  
They walked inside slowly, Griffin ready for an attack.  
"Do you think Shell came back early? She never turns the lights on even at night," Steel whispered. Griffin winced at the sound, confident that any intruder would have heard the question.  
"No, 'cause she doesn't use the candles either."  
"Shut up," Griffin said, hoping against hope that they hadn't been heard. They moved away from the door to let the light into the room. A glint of reflected light shone in Griffin's eyes. His eyes focused on the figure crouched by the bathroom door. "What are you doin' here?" Nothing good I'm sure. He looked down at the knife in the kid's hand. It looks like Shell's, but something's different.  
"Hey! That's Shell's knife!" Again, Blaze had stated the obvious, and Griffin had to force himself not to hit him. Then the importance of his words hit Griffin. Shell never voluntarily let anyone touch that blade, except Mr. Kwon. He had held it for her until she was old enough to use it. She had always cleaned it herself, saying that it was the only clue she had to her biological family. Nothing short of her death would occur before she let an outsider touch it.  
"What did you do with her?" He surprised himself by the intensity of the growl that came from him. Griffin watched as the intruder shifted his weight.  
"You mean the owner of this dagger." The kid's voice stayed emotionless, which surprised Griffin. Any other gang would have killed him instead of talking. There should have been at least a little fear.  
"Yes. Now where is she? And Blaze turn on a light." Griffin looked back down at the blade, the newly turned on light allowing his eyes to catch a reddish tint on the smooth metal. Blood? On the knife, and his hands? Oh God. he's killed her. A rage filled Griffin. All logic vanished as if it had never been. The only coherent thought that raced trough his head was that this. this thing had hurt Shell, his friend, his blood, his love. The fact that he had seen her fight off countless attackers, including some of supernatural origin, held no ground in his head. He charged at the intruder, ready to kill. 


	3. Chaper 3: The Reconciliation

Chapter 3: The Reconciliation  
  
Connor ducked under the first blow, then barely missed the second. He knew that he could win this fight easily, especially since the other two remained watching, most likely confident in their friend's strength. Connor also had the unfair advantage of still holding the knife. He sliced hard and fast with it in his right hand, but missed when his assailant jumped back with almost superhuman speed. Connor stood ready, waiting for the next attack. When it came, he stepped lightly to the side, grabbed the boy's arm, and using his momentum to throw him against the wall with a crash. Then Connor flipped him over onto his stomach while twisting the arm up behind his back and sliding the knife under his throat. Connor placed his knee on the boy's back to stop his struggles and pressed the blade of the dagger against his skin.  
  
Michelle had spaced out for a few minutes, just a few. Her head was pounding and ears were ringing worse than they had ever done, so she curled up in a corner in the bathroom with her arms over her head and ears trying unsuccessfully to stop the noise. Griffin would be home soon and however angry he might be at her for bringing this mystery to their home, she would deal. I'll just dump Mystery on him and make it up to him later. She had just decided to get up and check on Mystery and grab something to eat when she heard a large crash on the wall connecting the main room with the bathroom. She jumped to her feet, again wishing that the ringing would go away, ripped open the door connecting the two rooms and stared as she saw Mystery completely disarm and immobilize Griffin in seconds. "Freeze!" she yelled. All eyes in the room turned to her. Relief was easily read on the faces of her friends, along with anger, annoyance, and in Griffin's case affection. Mystery was another story. When he looked at her she was not sure what she saw. It was such a quick glimpse before he schooled his expression to blankness, though she was sure she saw relief and confusion and maybe even a little concern. To Mystery she added, "Let him go." Obediently he moved the dagger from under Griffin's throat and let him up. His expression was extremely cold yet he held out a hand to help Griff up. Being the self-sufficient, arrogant person that Griffin was he ignored the hand and got up on his own. With both Mystery and Griff standing next to each other, Michelle noticed that ironically Griff was both taller and more heavily built than the mystery person who had so easily beat him. She smiled slightly, then swayed, suddenly dizzy with the effort used to get up from the bathroom floor and near death for her brother to this temporary truce. Griffin lurched forward to help her to the least beat up chair. Seeing her blood soaked shirt he said unnecessarily, "Your hurt!" "Yes." she croaked, cleared her throat then tried again. "Yes, but it's not that bad. seriously." She looked over at Blaze who had moved to the kitchen area to get her a drink. He came back and placed it next to her on the table. She smiled gratefully at him and took a sip of the lukewarm liquid. While that had taken place Steel lit some more of the candles and Mystery, dagger still in hand, had edged back away from the group and was staring, eyes wide. Michelle looked over at him, her expression slightly quizzical, as her deep brown orbs met his. "Who is he?" Griffin asked, disturbing the small moment of silence. He glanced suspiciously at Mystery then back at her. She laughed softly. "Am I supposed to have all the answers in the world? Ask him. He'll be able to tell you the best. Though if he does we might be here a while, so why don't we settle with this." Turning back to the guest as Griff rolled his eyes at her statement, she asked plainly, "What shall we call you?"  
  
Connor gladly backed away from her obvious friend when Shell had told him to. He didn't really feel like killing the teen. Connor even held out his hand to show that he held no grudge against this new character that had attacked him. He was surprised when the teen refused his hand and got to his feet himself. He glanced over at Shell in time to see her fierce intense gaze waver as her eyes unfocused and her friend rush to her side to help her to a chair. Connor backed away hoping to be able to leave without being noticed. He listened intently when Griff asked who he was while his mind spun helplessly at this group of people so different from each other yet so close as to know what each needed before any outward signs were made. It was like clockwork. Connor perked up at the sound of Shell's voice. "What shall we call you?" She asked, her voice sounding better than it had before.  
"Connor."  
"Connor. Hmm. The stubborn dog lover, I believe is what it means." Shell smirked. "I like it." Her eyes traveled down to her blade in his hand causing her mood to shift completely. "Give it back." Her voice was low and threatening.  
Connor glanced at the dagger, flipped it so he was gingerly holding the sharpened edges before offering the hilt to her. She grasped the hilt, stood and walked out of the room, leaving the boys to they're own devices, which predictably enough was awkward silence, threatening glares and an occasional throat clearing cough. When she came back into the room, Griffin walked over to her, and they both moved to a corner of the room. If he had been a normal human he wouldn't have been able to hear a word said, but since he wasn't normal he heard everything. He smiled to himself. They were talking about him.  
  
Shell knew exactly what Griff wanted to talk about when he walked over to her. They moved out of earshot before he started.  
"What the hell were you thinking?" he asked in an angry whisper. "Why did you bring him here? What possessed you to think it would be alright for yo-" He didn't get to finish before Shell interrupted.  
"Will you shut up long enough for me answer?" She was just as upset as he was. "What else could I have done? The cops were coming and I'm still a minor, unlike you. I am not going back to my foster parents. Rich won't stop with a beating this time, he'll kill me. If I had left Connor, he could have told them where I went. Besides he runs fast. He kept up with me."  
"Yeah but your hurt, it stands to reason."  
"When has my being hurt ever made me slower?" She glanced over at Connor, slightly unnerved by the smile she saw.  
Griffin opened his mouth then closed it before answering. "Good point. So what do we do with him?"  
"I guess all we can do islet the mongoose choose. (A/N: For all those with a life who don't know what a mongoose is it's a rodent who kills and eats snakes. a.k.a. the Cobras.) If he stays we be extra careful, if he leaves we move. I'll check the hotel once more tonight but I think they're gone for good."  
"Good." They were both silent for a minute.  
"What is he, Griff?" Shell's voice sounded small and trembled slightly.  
"He's human isn't he?" Griff closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, "He's human, but something's not right in his head. There's a wall. He can't even get past it. Why do you ask?"  
She shuddered. "He reeks of death." 


End file.
